Electric outlet



May 11, 1937.

N. ABRAMSON ELECTRI C OUTLET Filed Nov. 10, 1932 A TTORNEY Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATEN OFFl-CE 2,080,247 j I T j ELECTRIC OUTLET I Nathan Abramson, New York, N} g Application November 10, 1932, Serial No. 642,013

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electric outlets,

The object of the invention is to produce what is commonly termed a convenience outlet, which is used tor the purpose of furnishing means for the attachment of extra electric lamps on the ordinary household circuit, of such a character and simplicity of construction that the service of a skilled electrician is not necessary.

More specifically, one of the objects of the invention is to provide such an outlet which may be attached to a baseboard by a single element used as a securing element and which will hold the parts together, without requiring the installation of the ordinary outlet box.

- One of the objects of the invention is to provide such .device where a large number of small lamps are used, such as for Christmas trees, and similar decoration, which at the same time will be entirely efficient and meet with the requirements of the board of fire underwriters, and which may be applied or installed by the ordinary householder, without the employment of skilled labor such as an electrician.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, is illustrated a form of embodiment of the invention, with two modifications of a simple 30 means for attachment of the parts together and to the baseboard, and in which drawing similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, and, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section, taken 35 approximately on line l--I of Figure 2, with the addition of a cover or cap not shown in Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the open end of the outlet with the cap or closure removed;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner or open 40 end of the structure, with the cap or closure slightly broken away and showing a modified form of attachment construction to secure the structure to a baseboard and secure the cap or closure;

45 Figure 4 is a side elevation of the construction illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the construction arranged where the cap or closure is secured to a baseboard and the tubular structure 50 is held by the cap;

Figure 6 is a section taken approximately on line 6--6 of Figure 5 but showing the cap applied to the tubular structure; and,

Figure '7 is a perspective of the tubular struc- 55 ture taken from S s d e d,

Referring to the drawing 8 designates a wall of Bakelitehor other non-conducting material preferably tubular or approximately tubular in shape. One end of the tubular wall 8 is closed by an integral dielectric closure 9. In actual 5 manufacture, in order to get a large production, it is usual to make this elementof the invention by means of molds in largequant'ities and from experience the integralclosure '9 in round shape has been found. the most satisfactory. 10

In order to permit the insertion of the ordinary connecting plug in common use, the end closure of the wall 8 isprovided with openings l0,'so that when the prongs of a plug are inserted they will be guided into contact with the here- 15 inafter described commonly known spring contacts. In order to permit the insertion into a passage through the tubular wall 8, of wires, the wall adjacent its open end is provided with a plurality of openings H adapted to receive the 20 common form of insulated, conducting wires l2.

In order to comply with the regulations of the fire underwriters and other fire prevention legislation and to render the structure described'fireproof when placed on an electric line or secured to a baseboard, the tubular member 8 described is provided with a closure or cap I3 at its open end, which cap or closure I3 is of a dielectric material, such as Bakelite, and in the form shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, suitable seats l4 may be formed on the inner face of the wall 8 at a suitable distance from its open end to receive the closure member l3 and prevent its entry too far into the structure of the wall 8 and so as to leave a proper gap to comply with the fire regulations.

Disposed on the inner face of the wall 8, at points properly located adjacent the openings H for the wires l2, are spring contact members l5 which may readily be secured by screws Hi .to the wall 8. The screws l6 also serve as binding posts for the wires l2 at points where the insulation is removed, and the free ends or spring portions of the contacts l5 are disposed in alignment with the openings II] in the closure 9, so that when a pronged plug is inserted through the openings l0 it will contact with the spring contacts 15 and form a circuit with the feed wires 12, or the pronged plug may be attached to the feed wire and the circuit operated in the opposite direction.

In the forms of construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 a central screw I1 is inserted through the center of the closure 9 and the cap or 010- sure 13 and is adapted to hold the entire structure in place against a baseboard and to hold the closure l3 firmly on the wall 8 the inner face of the closure l3 being disposed on the outer faces of the seats M. In the construction shown in Figures 3 and 4 there is substituted for the screw I! a pair of oppositely disposed lugs l8 which may be formed integrally with wall 8 or may be formed of separately stamped metal and secured to the wall. These lugs are adapted to pass through the periphery of the cover or cap [3 used in this form and to enter a baseboard and hold the structure thereon. In the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 a single instrument, to wit: a screw driver may be used to secure the structure in place and in the structure shown in Figures 3 and 4.any driving instrument such as a hammer may be used to tap the pointed lugs l8 onto the wooden baseboard.

In the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 there is secured on the closure 13 on its inner face a spring clip or finger IS, the free end of which projects far enough to engage the wall of an annular recess 20 formed in the inner face of the tubular wall 8 adjacent its free or open end. A screw 2| is used through the center of the closure l3 to secure it to the baseboard and the wall 8, and its open end placed over the structure carried by the closure I3 and is given a part turn or rotation so that the end of the spring clip or finger l9 engages into the annular recess 20 and the structure is held to the baseboard. In this form only a single instrument or screw driver is necessary to secure the screw 2| and the closure 13 and the rest of the structure may be manually assembled on the wall.

For greater ease of assembly and for better holding of the wires l2 the open end of the tubular wall 8 is provided with oppositely arranged (Figure 3) recesses 22 through which the wires l2 may be brought to the binding posts IS without having to be spread inside of the structure 8 as is necessary with the form shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In the operation of the forms shown the wires l2 are bared a sufilcient distance to be engaged by the binding posts l6 so that a circuit is formed to the spring contacts IS. The closures I 3 are placed in position and in the form shown in Figures l to 4 the structure is secured to the baseboard either by a single screw ll or the simple lugs l8.

In the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 the wires I2 are assembled on the closure l3 and it is secured to the baseboard by the screw 2| and the tubular structure 8 attached by contact with the spring finger l9 as described. In all the forms the contacts l5 are in alignment with the openings ID to receive the prongs of the ordinary plug.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electric outlet comprising a tubular, nonconducting body having one end closed and provided with plug openings, spring contacts carried inside the body and in alignment with the openings, binding posts adapted to secure the contacts to the body and to receive wires, a closure disposed wholly within the non-conducting body opposite its closed end and a plurality of nonremovable pointed securing means formed on the body at its open end and within its peripheral plane adjacent its periphery adapted to secure the body to a baseboard and to secure the closure to the body when the latter is so secured.

2. An electric outlet-comprising a tubular, nonconducting body having one end closed and provided with plug openings, spring contacts carried inside the body and in alignment with the openings, binding posts adapted to secure the contacts to the body and to receive wires and means formed on and wholly within the peripheral plane of the body adapted to be driven into a baseboard and to retain a closure in position.

NATHAN ABRAMSON. 

